Chapter 3: Inspiring Mercury Glass Decorating Ideas

Mercury glass Christmas décor adds vintage charm with a bit of bling to your event. It’s a growing trend in décor, but it’s not just for homes. You can deploy touches of Mercury glass throughout your holiday event to wow guests.

What Is Mercury Glass?

You probably recognize mercury glass when you see it, but what is it? Antique mercury glass is a double-walled glass construction. A silver liquid is poured into a hole to fill the thin area between the two walls to give the piece a silver burnish. It was originally envisioned as an alternative to sterling silver for families who couldn’t afford the real thing.

Today, you can find replica Mercury glass in a variety of decoration forms, from Christmas ornaments to serving trays. Mercury glass is often silver, but you can also find decorations in multiple colors. The reflective finish may be flecked or aged so that it appears antique. Its shiny, metallic effect is part of what makes mercury glass so perfect for your Christmas decorating ideas.

1. Mercury Glass Christmas Ornaments

Vintage-looking Christmas ornaments are often made of mercury glass, and they should be a part of your event decorating scheme. Mercury glass ornaments work for items other than just decorating a Christmas tree. Getting imaginative with the ornaments can result in some unique party décor ideas. Try some of these uses for mercury glass ornaments.

3. Tabletop or Mantel Decoration

A thick pine garland works well as the base for a tabletop or mantel decoration. Strands of lights woven into the garland add extra sparkle. The display gets a vintage touch with the addition of assorted mercury glass ornaments. Position the decorated garland along the top of a mantel or the edge of a table.

4. Jar of Ornaments

Fill a large, clear glass vase with mercury glass ornaments. Restrict them to a single color or mix a variety of ornament colors. You can also tuck in sprigs of pine, holly berries, or other accents for an extra touch of Christmas class.

5. Place Cards

Mark each guest’s spot with a mercury glass ornament as a placeholder. Attach a ribbon to each ornament, with a name card tied onto the ribbon. The ornament also doubles as a party favor for the guests.

6. Hanging Ornaments

Suspend plastic mercury glass ornaments from the ceiling using Christmas ribbons. This decorating idea works well in a hallway or entryway. Fill the area with the dangling ornaments suspended at differing heights for added drama. You can also mix in hanging strands of lights, faux snowflakes, and other decorations to round out the hanging display. This also works as a backdrop against a wall. Set it up behind tables as a fun backdrop, for example.

7. Wall Garland

Group several mercury glass ornaments together into a garland to decorate a wall behind a table or display area, or try this premade mercury glass ornament garland.

Mercury Glass Centerpiece Ideas

Carry the mercury glass fun to your event tables for stunning centerpieces. Candles and lights reflect beautifully off the shininess of the mercury glass. Check out these mercury glass centerpiece ideas.

1. Tray Arrangement

Base your centerpiece on a mercury glass mirrored tray, which introduces a reflective quality for additional sparkle. Arrange a layer of pine or holly boughs on the tray, letting some of the mirror and mercury glass accents show. Add mercury glass ornaments or other holiday decorations on top.

2. Floral Arrangements

For a simple, classic approach, fill a mercury glass vase with a selection of Christmas flowers. You can go with small, low arrangements or taller ones depending on what the rest of the table looks like.

3. Tree Arrangement

Anchor your centerpiece with many sizes of mercury glass Christmas trees. Using groupings of three trees pleases the eye. Add greenery, candles, lights, or other decorative elements around the base of the trees, or position them on a tray with faux snow covering them for a snowy tree scene.

4. Candlelight Arrangement

If you plan to feature votive candles in your centerpieces, display them in beautiful mercury glass candleholders or an intriguing candlelit display, use the mirrored tray as the base, with a variety of mercury glass candleholders in different heights, shapes, and sizes.

Arrange the candleholders on top of the mirrored tray in a way that appeals to you. You can also incorporate some other elements, such as mercury glass containers or bottles, for an even more glistening look.

5. Pine-Filled Urn

Give a mercury glass centerpiece more height by starting with a tall mercury glass urn. Fill it with long pine boughs that stick up and retain their shape. Tuck in other accents like a red berry pick.

Tips on Decorating With Mercury Glass for Christmas

It’s hard to go wrong with mercury glass. It’s a beautiful, versatile decoration that fits in well with holiday décor. Mercury glass naturally gives off a Christmas vibe because of the silver color and shine. If you want more advice on mercury glass, we’ve got you covered. Follow these mercury glass decorating tips:

Mix and match: Part of the charm of mercury glass is you can mix and match the pieces. Experiment with pieces of assorted heights, shapes, and sizes to bump up the contrast in your decorations.

Double up on dazzle: Maximize the natural shine of mercury glass items by pairing them with items that sparkle. Candles, lights, and mirrors work well.

Mercury glass is an on-trend addition to your holiday décor, and it’s the perfect way to dial up the dazzle at the events you coordinate this holiday season.